I arrived to the Rio de Janeiro airport in the wee hours of the morning. I quickly saw that the city was already hustling and bustling about. I expected the airport to be a bit of a mad house: people coming up to you, offering you a hostel, taxi, tour, hotel, ride to wherever you would want to go. That was what I encountered in Mumbai, India, and for some reason, I thought Rio would be just as overwhelmingly. Surprisingly, there were the usual smatterings of people holding signs with foreign names, or signs touting the name of their tour companies, but there were not many people. Which was a relief!

I stopped at the tourist information desk before leaving the airport, armed with a map and a booklet of which airport bus to take. It was quite easy to find the stop for the blue airport “omnibus,” although none of the operators seemed to know exactly which bus we should get on. After about half an hour, I asked the operators again, then checked with the bus driver (in Espanol rather than Portuguese) to verify he could take me to Copacabana. Next thing I knew, we were rolling down the busy highway towards Rio’s city center!

I hadn’t done any research on the food in Brazil prior to going. From the bus, I saw bakeries (padarias) filled with gluten-free pastries, some fancy restaurants, a few standard cafeterias, but no supermarkets. I was a bit afraid of what I would find waiting for me. After checking into our hostel, we headed out to the beach. Little did I know that Brazil has a plethora of choices when it comes to beverages. My three favorite ones are:

– coco gelado (ice cold coconut water that the servers hatch into with a machete and stick a straw into)

– acai (yes, the superfood berry is blended up into a smoothie…and it is to die for! this got me through the ultra-humid days and hikes around the city. You can order it just as a “bebida” and it will come as a smoothie. If that is too thick, you can find acai juice in the markets)

– caipirinha (the national cocktail of Brazil, made with its famous alcohol, cachaça, sugar, and lime)

Out of all of the South American countries, Brazil is among the most expensive ones in which to travel–and, I quickly realized, to eat out. One main entree can run between 50 and 100 Brazilian reais, about $25-$50 USD. We could not afford to do the tours we wanted and eat out once a day for that price. Instead, we opted for the local supermarket. Most Brazilian supermercados offer a good selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. My husband and I love to eat meat (we still try to make protein a large part of our diet, despite neither currently lifting weights nor engaging in high-intensity interval training). We were delighted to find steak in the supermarkets for around $5 USD for 300-400 grams. Of course the price varied depending on the cut of meat, but we ate well with what we purchased. We got into a routine of purchasing most of our food at a supermarket and making one big meal (usually dinner) per day back at the shared kitchen in our hostel.

As far as vegetables, good, fresh lettuce was hard to come by. Most of what we found was wilted and undesirable. We opted for bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and carrots. The fruit in Brazil was amazing! We ate a fresh mango–purchased for $1-2 USD–every night. They were better-tasting to me than the ones we had in Thailand. The meat we got was not excellent quality, but it was tasty for its extremely affordable price. We squeezed lime and sprinkled pepper over it as it was cooking, and it was filling after a long day out and about. During the day, we ate small meals and/or snacks frequently. These little guys saved me:

They are “polvinho” cookies or “polvinho biscuits,” although they do not taste like cookies or biscuits. They are light, airy snacks that come in a few different flavors (traditional (which is just lightly salted), cheese, salsa and onion, and sweet). I think I tried each flavor, and all of them were good! They aren’t the most nutritious, but when a Celiac is in a bind and/or on a 22-hour bus ride, these snacks sure do taste good. Other than these, I mostly ate fruit, veggies, and lunch meat. DO NOT eat the canned tuna. It is fishy and cannot be compared to anything other than cat food. I also found meringues in the supermarkets, which were nice to curb my sweet tooth.

Breakfast in Brazil is not easy. Every morning in each hostel we stayed in, we were served small French bread loaves either with cold cuts (processed meat and cheese) or hot dogs that had been cut up and cooked in a tomato-based sauce with onions. Luckily, I can tolerate oats. I just carried plain instant oatmeal (which I found in the supermarkets, labeled “flocos de aveia” or “aveia com flocos”) with me to each hostel and asked for a bowl. Depending on what the hostel offered, I’d either add fruit or a bit of jam to the oatmeal for flavor. For those true Celiacs that cannot tolerate oats, it would be best to make your own breakfast or bring something that you can eat. You can easily find eggs in the supermarkets, although Brazilians usually eat them for lunch or dinner with rice or on a sandwich.

Of course, you have to try some dishes to better understand the culture and country you are visiting. My good Brazilian friend lives in Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais. I informed her of my allergy prior to visiting her. She took my husband and me out to a Bahian restaurant and ordered moqueca, a seafood stew with a thick yellow-orangeish broth that reminded me of yellow curry. The taste, however, was far different from curry and had a hint of cilantro. Accompanying the moqueca was a bright orange powder that my friend encouraged me to put with the stew and rice. I was hesitant because it looked like a flour of some kind. After verifying with our server that there was no wheat and/or gluten in it, I tried it. Boy, was it delicious! We stuffed ourselves.

Here is the “flour” we added to our stew:

I researched what moqueca was made out of because my friend kept telling me the Brazilian word. It translated as “manioc,” and I had absolutely no idea what that was! Turns out that manioc, along with polvinho, come from the same root: the cassava plant.

Because my friend is from Minas Gerais, she wanted to share some local food with me. I hesitated because its name was pao de queijo, literally “cheese bread.” We checked the back of all of the packages, and they proudly announced, “NAO CONTEM GLUTEN!” After double-checking each ingredient in the pao, I ate four of five of these rolls to my heart’s content. My friend informed me that pao de queijo is a typical breakfast food. Many Brazilians tear the little rolls in half and spread butter or marmalade on them–or even a slice of cheese! To me, they were perfect right out the oven without anything added. It was such a treat to eat gluten-free bread that could be found in any supermarket! Here they are:

The moral of this long post: in Brazil, the cassava root, shown below, is your best gluten-free friend!

Here is the root in its natural form, then the flour produced from it:

Enjoy your visit to Brazil and please share any gluten-free treasures you found and/or know of for other travelers to try. ;D

I’m currently in Peru and am taking notes of what to eat–and what to avoid–and will update with a Gluten-Free Peru edition within the next few weeks. Please check back!

I decided to make these brownies again, coming up with a more accurate, delicious recipe of my own. I incorporated coconut flour this time. It was my first time using it, and now I see what everyone was talking about! It adds a sweet, light flavor to gluten-free baked goods and makes the consistency a bit smoother. Again I used agave instead of refined sugar. My toppings this time were chocolate chips on one side and a cut-up Snickers bar on the other (a straggler leftover from Halloween). I used more chocolate powder for an intense flavor. Although I liked this recipe better, the only thing I would change are the sweet potatoes used. I only hand the ones with the yellow inside; I think the ones with the orange flesh would make the consistency smoother. I’ve found they’re a bit sweeter as well. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

* If you do not have baking chocolate, you can use the unsweetened cocoa powder. To make your own dark chocolate like I did, mix 3 tbsp. of cocoa powder with 1 tbsp. of grapeseed oil. Melt them together in a double-boiler, then add the dark chocolate to the mashed potatoes.

2) After the potatoes and dark chocolate are combined, add in the wet ingredients: egg and egg whites, agave or honey, vanilla, and grapeseed oil. Mix by hand or with an electric mixer until thoroughly blended.

4) This batter was less lumpy than the first batch I made. It was sweeter and more consistent than the first one–the batter even tasted better! Add any toppings you want, sugar-free or not. ;p

5) Bake at 350 Fahrenheit / 175 Celsius for about 25-30 minutes. Check the center of the brownies by putting a clean knife in the middle. Mine cooked a bit faster than the first batch. Enjoy! Super yummy…

I had an intense chocolate craving. With the fall season quickly approaching here in Korea, all I’ve been wanting to do is bake!!! The cold weather gets me down, and I am missing home this autumn season. This is my fourth fall in South Korea. Suddenly, the thought of another holiday season here, the lack of Halloween candy in the stores, the absence of the excitement at the beginning of the holiday season…it’s all just kind of gotten to me more this year. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older?! Maybe it’s part of the post-competition blues (still)?! Whatever it is, I know one thing for sure: my toaster oven is quickly (and dangerously) becoming my best friend.

While Googling gluten-free cookie recipes, I stumbled across one that used all of the “natural” ingredients I’ve been wanting to incorporate: PB2 (my powdered natural peanut butter), Nestle’s unsweetened cocoa powder, agave nectar, and chocolate chips. I found great new blog (!) called loveveggiesandyoga.com. It was originally dedicated to vegan food and yoga, but now Averie, the author, has shifted the focus to desserts. Its name officially now is “Averie Cooks”. Here’s the link: http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/. Thanks to Averie for sharing the original recipe. I used her recipe, substituting agave for both the white and brown sugars. I wasn’t sure how the recipe would turn out, so I made half batch (about 10 small cookies). For a full batch, just double the recipe. Here it is:

Half Batch

– 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

– 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I used PB2, but Averie used Natural JIF in hers–something I can’t get in Korea)

– less than 1/2 cup agave sweetener

– 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

– 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chocolate chips

– 1 egg white

1) I first had to “make” the peanut butter, which consists of combining PB2 natural peanut butter powder with water. It took about 6-7 tablespoons to make 1/2 cup. Put the peanut butter, cocoa powder, agave, and vanilla into the bowl. Use the egg white of one regular-size egg by separating it. Mix all ingredients together.

2) After all ingredients are mixed well, add in your chocolate chips and stir.

*Averie suggested putting the dough into the freezer to make a thicker, fluffier cookie. I wasn’t sure if my dough would work properly with the substitutions. It looked a bit runny, so I stuck it in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes while I baked a “test cookie”. It worked!

3) Drop cookies by the spoonful or roll into 1-inch balls and place them onto the cookie sheet. I greased mine with grapeseed oil. I made these cookies bite-sized, but you can make them bigger if desired.

4) Bake at 350 Fahrenheit (I put mine at just above 200 Celsius) for 10-12 minutes. I found 10 minutes was the perfect amount of time. As Averie suggests, watch the cookies carefully! Because they are dark chocolate, it is hard to tell when they are done versus when they are burnt!

Tonight I experimented a little more with my new sugar-free ingredients. A good friend and fellow competitor of mine posted a picture of paleo brownies she made with sweet potatoes. Having just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with my friends (I’m not a native Canadian–just an honorary one who happens to work with a lot of Canucks), I had half a bag of sweet potatoes left after making sweet potato casserole. (Sweet potato casserole was not a diet- or competition-friendly dish: it was loaded with brown sugar and marshmallows. CHEAT MEAL, BABY!!!) The chocolate craving hit me pretty hard today (stressful day at work, that time of the month, had an intense workout this morning), so I decided to test the recipe out. The brownies are not overly sweet. They are subtly sweet but have a good consistency. I found a recipe online but adapted it (as always) to the ingredients I had on hand.

1) Mash the sweet potatoes, either with a fork, mixer, or by pureeing them in a food processor. I used the bullet that I make my protein shakes in. As long as the potatoes are still warm after boiling, they should mash up nicely. I took the thicker parts of the skin off to make pureeing easier.

2) I transferred the sweet potato puree to a mixing bowl, then added the dry ingredients first (cocoa powder, almond flour, baking soda).

3) Next, I added the wet ingredients (eggs, agave, vanilla, and grapeseed oil). I stirred everything together until it had a somewhat smooth consistency. There were a few lumps and uneven spots in the batter. I hand-mixed the ingredients, alternating between a fork (to mash big lumps) and a rubber spatula. Don’t worry if there are still small lumps remaining; they’ll bake out.

4) Add any other ingredients that you want. You can see from the picture that I didn’t stick to an entirely sugar-free brownie: I added dark chocolate chips to the top. The coconut is unsweetened, however. To keep it sugar-free, you could substitute carob chips for chocolate chips–or just leave them out.

Transfer the brownie batter to an oiled baking dish (I used a small square 6×6 glass dish–this recipe only makes about 12 brownies). Pop it in the oven at about 350 Fahrenheit (I did almost 200 Celsius, which is a bit hotter). Bake for about 30 minutes or until the middle is cooked. I knew mine were done when the cocoa smell filled the house!

My brownies finished about an hour ago. I sampled them before remembering to document what I had baked, as you can see in the picture. They’re not bad for my first experience baking with sweet potatoes. The brownies could stand to be a bit sweeter, but they are very moist! I’m happy to have found an alternative to using gluten-free flour mixes.

While preparing food for my competition, I came across a few really great resources that helped me do things with chicken and egg whites other than just simply boil them. Now that I’m no longer dieting and it’s after the competition, I have been experimenting with cooking new dishes and baking different cookies and cakes. One website that has been a wonderful, helpful resource both on and off the competition diet has been Chelle’s Fitness Recipes, found here: http://billandchelle.com/fitness/recipes.html. For those of you on a figure competition diet, I recommend clicking on the “View Figure Competition Friendly Recipes Here” link just under the page’s header.

I adapted Chelle’s “Crustless Spinach Quiche” slightly, using what I had in my refrigerator. Here is what I used:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 180 Celsius. Mince all of the garlic cloves, chop onion (if you want to add it), and cut chicken tenderloins or breasts into chunks or strips.

*Chelle’s original recipe only calls for two cloves of garlic ; I love garlic and its healthful properties, so I always use more. The original recipe also has one small onion, which I was out of. I had chicken tenderloins left over from a previous meal. I sprinkled basil on them, then cut them into chunks. You could use any kind of chicken; the original recipe has chicken sausage. I had tofu in the fridge and considered using that as an alternative to chicken.

1) Put olive oil in a skillet and saute garlic and onion for a few minutes. Add in the chicken to warm it up; saute all three together until onion and garlic are browned. Rinse spinach leaves and cut up if necessary while food is sauteing.

2) Using a fork, whisk 12 egg whites in a large bowl. I whisked them as the recipe said for a couple of minutes, or until the whites started to bubble a bit.

3) Add all ingredients: sauteed chicken, garlic, onion, spinach, and cheese. Mix together with the egg whites until all ingredients are moistened. Depending on how much spinach you use, you may want to add another egg white. Add seasonings to the mixture. I only used pepper and basil.

4) Coat a glass or metal dish with non-stick cooking spray or oil. Pour the mixture into the dish and pop it into the oven.

5) Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the center is cooked.

I served this dish with some steaming fresh green beans. It was a delicious, healthy, satisfying meal! Gluten-free and yummy. I was quite happy with the taste, as it was my first time making quiche. I usually avoid quiche because of the crust. Now I will try my own versions. The best part of a meal like this is you can eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day!

During my figure competition diet, all I could think about was how I couldn’t wait to go back to gluten-free baking. I really don’t eat that poorly in the “off season”–being gluten-free keeps me in check. I do, however, looooove gluten-free brownies and cookies. I always keep my favorite Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix on hand for baking emergencies. Because of the competition diet, I’d consumed zero processed or refined sugar for 12 weeks. During the last two weeks before competition, I even cut out fruit because of its high sugar and carbohydrate content to lean up. Coming off of an extremely restrictive diet, I wanted to use as close to natural sugar as possible to not shock my body.

Oatmeal was one of the three main sources of carbohydrates in my diet. One might think I wouldn’t want to eat oatmeal after the diet, but all I could think of was how delicious oatmeal raisin cookies would be after the competition! So, here it is, the week after the competition, and I found a great recipe from a fellow English teacher in Korea that cooks wonderful vegan and gluten-free foods. The site is great–it’s called “Wayfaring Teacher”. I encourage you to check it out for some great recipes, or just a bit of insight of what it is like for those with food restrictions living in Korea. I adapted that recipe to what I had in my cupboard. Here’s what I used:

1 3/4 cup quick-cooking old-fashioned oats (I used the Quaker ones because I’m not super sensitive to oats; if you are, I would Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free quick-cooking or rolled oats)

4. Start mixing, then add in honey. Use more or less, depending on personal preference.

5. Pour in raisins.

6. Add milk to get a lighter, thinner consistency.

As the original post says, add more milk if the mixture is too dry; if it is too wet, adjust with oats.

Bake at 350 degrees (about 175 Celsius in my lil’ Korean toaster oven) for 12-15 minutes. When mixing the cookie batter, I used my hands. Depending on how many oats you use, the batter can be a bit crumbly. I wanted “mini-bites”, so I rolled the cookies into small balls and flattened them down a bit. Cookies were ready when the edges started to brown.

I ate them without taking a picture. No worries; I’ll make them again and post. This was my first time using honey in place of sugar. These cookies didn’t need any additional sweetener, but I had to satiate my craving, and honey did the trick! I personally love extra raisins and cinnamon in mine, but this recipe can be easily tweaked.

I’ve spent a lot of time and money trying to find the best-tasting gluten-free products. Just like Oprah has her list of favorites, these are my gluten-free must-haves. (I think there may be even better products out there, as the gluten-free market has exploded since I left the U.S., but these are products I can order internationally through iherb.com.)

Best Baking Mixes

Pamela’s is the best all-purpose gluten-free baking mix. The pancakes are wonderful, as are many of the recipes on the back label. I have tried almost all of the recipes on the back. In particular, I love the zucchini bread, coffee cake, and banana bread recipes–they are to die for! My husband (who is not gluten-free) says the zucchini bread is his favorite out of all of my experimental recipes. For the chocolate chip cookies, I usually substitute about half cup of 100% rice flour for the Pamela’s mix. Sometimes my cookies end up too flat if I do not add rice flour.

I use the Pamela’s baking mix to make pancakes, but I prefer the Kinnikinnick brand pancake mix. The texture is smoother than the Pamela’s mix. Pamela’s is a bit grainy for pancakes, and Kinnikinnick is as close as it gets to the real thing.

I was so surprised and happily relieved to see Betty Crocker gluten-free mixes on the supermarket shelves. I have tried several brownie mixes, as fudge brownies are my ultimate indulgence. The one with the best consistency and most natural taste is the Betty Crocker mix! The Pamela’s brownie mix is not bad, but I prefer Betty’s.

I have tried almost every gluten-free pasta that New Seasons and Whole Foods have to offer. I just love the Tinkyada brand. The pasta cooks perfectly, the consistency is great, and the taste is superb. I usually add a bit of oil to the pasta while boiling so that the noodles do not stick together. Whether made with brown or white rice, the pastas taste great. I’ve used their lasagna noodles, penne, spirals, and spinach spaghetti.

For a little comfort food, Annie’s gluten-free mac-and-cheese is my guilty pleasure. Creamy and delicious! Just like Kraft without the horrible side effects.

Often touted as a “superfood”, quinoa is the single best alternative to pasta. There are endless quinoa variations: you can make it as a pasta, salad, vegetable dish, etc. I recently added some fruit I had to eat to cooked quinoa, and the creation turned out very tasty.